Energy absorbing carrier tape

Abstract

Carrier tape (12) is disclosed which absorbs kinetic energy and protects the leads (34, 34') of electronic circuit components (32) from bending or being otherwise damaged in an industry drop test. The components (32) are supported in pockets (22) by platforms (40) which are free of ridges extending above the bottoms of the components (32). The free ends of the leads (34) simultaneously engage ramp portions (42) of the pocket sidewalls (24) which are inclined upwardly and outwardly from the pocket bottoms (26) to center the components (32) in the pockets (22). The pockets (22) are of a size to sandwich the components (32) against the platforms (40) when the carrier tape (12) is in a stacked arrangement such as by being wound on a reel (58). The pocket bottoms (26) include undercuts (54) allowing the pocket bottoms (26) in an upper layer to sandwich two different components (32) in two circumferentially adjacent pockets (22) of the lower layer. In other forms, the pockets (22) include protrusions (60) having abutment surfaces (64) which abut with the cover tape (56) for clamping the components (32) against the platforms (40) of the lower layer and which deflect the platforms (40) of the upper layer for raising the components (32) against the cover tape (56).

I claim: 
     
       1. Carrier for an electronic circuit component having a plurality of leads extending outwardly from at least first and second opposing sides of a body, with the body having a top and a bottom, with the leads having free ends, comprising, in combination: a carrier medium including a front face and a back face; and at least a first pocket for receiving the electronic circuit component, with the pocket including first and second sidewalls on opposite sides of the pocket and further including means for supporting the electronic circuit component in the pocket, with the supporting means including a platform adapted to abut with the bottom of the body of the electronic circuit component when supported in the pocket, with the pocket being free of protrusions extending above the platform which would minimize shifting of the electronic circuit components when supported in the pocket, with the sidewalls including ramp portions inclined upwardly and outwardly, and with the ramp portions of the first and second sidewalls on opposite sides of the pocket adapted to engage the free ends of the leads on the first and second sides of the body when the bottom of the body abuts with the platform to center the electronic circuit component in the pocket. 
     
     
       2. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the first and second sidewalls further include a transition portion extending at an angle up to 90° from the back face for providing the necessary depth to the pocket. 
     
     
       3. The carrier of claim 2 wherein the transition portion is located intermediate the back face and the ramp portion. 
     
     
       4. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the pocket includes a pocket bottom, with the bottom of the body being supported in the pocket by the supporting means intermediate the pocket bottom and the back face, with the first and second opposing sides of the body being spaced a first distance, with the pocket bottom extending in a direction between the first and second sidewalls a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, with the pocket being dimensionally smaller at the bottom thereof than at a portion of the back face. 
     
     
       5. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the electronic circuit component has a periphery in the shape of a right parallelepiped and the body includes third and fourth opposing sides; and wherein the pocket includes third and fourth sidewalls on opposite sides of the pocket, with the free ends of the leads on the third and fourth sides of the body engaging with the ramp portions on the third and fourth sidewalls on opposite sides of the pocket when the electronic circuit component is supported in the pocket by the supporting means and centered in the pocket. 
     
     
       6. The carrier of claim 5 wherein the pocket includes a pocket bottom, with the first and second opposing sides of the body being spaced a first distance, with the pocket bottom extending in a direction between the first and second sidewalls a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, with the third and fourth opposing sides of the body being spaced a third distance, with the pocket bottom extending in a direction between the third and fourth sidewalls a fourth distance which is shorter than the third distance, with the size of the pocket bottom being smaller than the size of the pocket at the back face. 
     
     
       7. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the free ends of the leads on the first side of the body engage the ramp portion of the first sidewall simultaneously as the free ends of the second side of the body engage the ramp portion of the second sidewall when the electronic circuit component is centered in the pocket. 
     
     
       8. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the ramp portions are inclined at an angle in the order of 300 to the front and back faces. 
     
     
       9. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the ramp portions of each of the sidewalls do not extend in a single plane. 
     
     
       10. The carrier of claim 1 wherein the supporting means comprises a platform for abutting with the bottom of the body, with the platform being planar and of a size smaller than the perimeter of the bottom of the body. 
     
     
       11. The carrier of claim 10 wherein the platform has an area which is not continuous and which is substantially less than the bottom of the body. 
     
     
       12. Carrier for electronic circuit components having a plurality of leads extending outwardly from a body, with the body having at least first and second opposing sides, a top and a bottom, with the leads having free ends, comprising, in combination: a carrier medium including a front face and a back face; and at least a first pocket for receiving the electronic circuit component, with the pocket being provided on the carrier medium and extending beyond the back face, with the pocket including first and second sidewalls on opposite sides of the pocket, with the pocket further including means for supporting the electronic circuit component in the pocket, with the pocket further including a pocket bottom, with the bottom of the body being positioned in the pocket by the supporting means intermediate the pocket bottom and the back face, with the first and second opposing sides of the body being spaced a first distance, with the pocket bottom extending in a direction between the first and second sidewalls a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, with the pocket being dimensionally smaller at the pocket bottom thereof than at an upper portion of the pocket at the back face such that when the carrier medium is stacked in an upper layer and a lower layer, the pocket of the upper layer sandwiches the electronic circuit component against the supporting means in the pocket of the lower layer. 
     
     
       13. The carrier of claim 12 wherein the electronic circuit component has a periphery in the shape of a right parallelepiped and the body includes third and fourth opposing sides, with the third and fourth opposing sides of the body being spaced a third distance; and wherein the pocket includes third and fourth sidewalls on opposite sides of the pocket, with the pocket bottom extending in a direction between the third and fourth sidewalls a fourth distance which is shorter than the third distance. 
     
     
       14. The carrier of claim 13 wherein the pocket bottom includes first and second linear portions extending parallel to the first and second sidewalls, with the pocket bottom being undercut between the first and second linear portions. 
     
     
       15. The carrier of claim 14 wherein the pocket bottom is annular shaped and includes third and fourth linear portions extending parallel to the third and fourth sidewalls. 
     
     
       16. The carrier of claim 12 wherein the supporting means comprises a platform for abutting with the electronic circuit component, with the platform being planar and of a size smaller than the perimeter of the bottom of the body. 
     
     
       17. The carrier of claim 16 wherein the platform has an area which is not continuous and which is substantially less than the bottom of the body. 
     
     
       18. The carrier of claim 12 wherein the supporting means is free of protrusions extending above the bottom of the body of the electronic circuit component when supported in the pocket. 
     
     
       19. The carrier of claim 12 wherein the pocket bottom includes first and second linear portions extending parallel to the first and second sidewalls, with the pocket bottom being undercut between the first and second linear portions. 
     
     
       20. The carrier of claim 12 wherein the carrier medium is made of semi-flexible, deformable material; and wherein the carrier medium is stacked by winding upon a reel. 
     
     
       21. The carrier of claim 12 wherein the plurality of leads extend outwardly from the first and second opposing sides of the body, with the supporting means abutting with the bottom of the body. 
     
     
       22. The carrier of claim 12 wherein the pocket includes a protrusion having an abutment surface spaced from the back face a distance greater than the spacing of the pocket bottom from the back face with the abutment surface of the pocket of the upper layer sandwiching the electronic circuit component against the supporting means in the pocket of the lower layer and deflecting the supporting means in the pocket of the upper layer in a direction away from the lower layer. 
     
     
       23. The carrier of claim 22 wherein the abutment surface has a size which is considerably smaller than the area of the top of the body. 
     
     
       24. The carrier of claim 22 wherein the supporting means comprises a platform of an accordion type including at least first and second portions, with the protrusion deflecting the first portion in the pocket of the upper layer greater than the second portion. 
     
     
       25. A carrier with at least one electronic circuit component having a plurality of leads extending outwardly from at least first and second opposing sides of a body, with the body having a top and a bottom, with the leads having free ends, comprising, in combination: a carrier medium including a front face and a back face; and at least a first pocket for receiving the electronic circuit component, with the pocket including first and second sidewalls on opposite sides of the pocket and farther including means for supporting the electronic circuit component in the pocket, with the pocket being free of protrusions extending above the bottom of the body of the electronic circuit component supported in the pocket and which would minimize shifting of the electronic circuit component when supported in the pocket, and with the sidewalls including ramp portions inclined upwardly and outwardly, with the free ends of the leads on the first and second sides of the body engaging with the ramp portions of the first and second sidewalls on opposite sides of the pocket to center the electronic circuit component in the pocket. 
     
     
       26. Carrier for an electronic circuit component having a plurality of leads extending outwardly from at least first and second opposing sides of a body, with the body having a top and a bottom, with the leads having free ends, comprising, in combination: a carrier medium including a front face and a back face; and at least a first pocket for receiving the electronic circuit component, with the pocket including first and second sidewalls, a pocket bottom, and means for supporting the electronic circuit component in the pocket, with the pocket being free of protrusions extending above the bottom of the body of the electronic circuit component when supported in the pocket and which would minimize shifting of the electronic circuit component when supported in the pocket, with the first and second sidewalls located on opposite sides of the pocket, with the sidewalls including ramp portions inclined upwardly and outwardly from the pocket bottom, with the free ends of the leads on the first and second sides of the body engaging with the ramp portions of the first and second sidewalls on opposite sides of the pocket to center the electronic circuit component in the pocket, with the bottom of the body being supported in the pocket by the supporting means intermediate the pocket bottom and the back face, with the first and second opposing sides of the body being spaced a first distance, with the pocket bottom extending in a direction between the first and second sidewalls a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, with the pocket being dimensionally smaller at the bottom thereof than at a portion of the back face such that when the carrier medium is stacked in an upper layer and a lower layer, the pocket of the upper layer sandwiches the electronic circuit component against the supporting means in the pocket of the lower layer.